Under the devoted leadership of its Secretary General, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, the United Nations has restored to the world the hope of peace.

The Olof Palme Memorial Prize honors the men and women in the peace-keeping operations who have served, and now serve, the cause of peace with great courage. Even in dark times and under difficult circumstances they have demonstrated the viability of the idea of collective security as laid down in the United Nations Charter, and the possibility of common security.